Gut string with wear resisting coating



Jan. 5, 1943. F. SALATHE, JR

GUT STRING WITH WEAR RESISTING ,JOATING Filed June 7, 1941 Patented Jan. 5, 1943 GUT STRING WITH WEAR BESIS'ILING COATING Frederick Salathe, Jr., Los Angeles, 02111., as-

signor oi. one-half to Jack B. Tidbail, hos,

Angeles, Calif.

Application June 7, 1941, Serial No. 397,141 3 Claims. (01. 117-141) This invention relates to-an improved string for use in tennis rackets, badminton rackets,

squash rackets, and the like.

As well known, strings for rackets just referred to are usually made of animal gut, especially sheep gut, although other animal fibrous material such as sinws has been used. Recently tennis racket strings made of a plastic material from which the synthetic texile fiber known in the trade as nylon is made have been placed on the market. Such strings, however, while having excellent wear-resisting qualities, lack the feel of the gut strings, causing a slower rebound of the ball and also have less resiliency. Apparently; the gut strings are used today ior the reason that there seems to be no other material which has the desired resiliency and tensile strength, but they have the defect oi! low resistance to wear and consequently they wear out in a comparatively short time.

It is an object of this invention to provide a string for tennis rackets and the like which, while retaining the resiliency and the tensile strength.

of the gut string, greatly increases its resistance to wear. For this purpose I envelop or encase the strings made of animal fiber with a thin layer of the plastic composition above referred to. My invention consists in the improved string and the method of making the same as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated my invention, and in which Figure 1 is the plan view or a conventional tennis racket provided with my improved strings;

and

' Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section on a large scale or my improved string.

Referring to the drawing, I indicates a tennis racketinwhichmyimprovedstringslareulcd.

The string 2 consists or a core 3 which is the conventional gut string which is coated with a thin layer of nylon composition 4.

The only eflicient solvent known at the present time for such nylon composition is cresylic acid and the most practical method of applying a coating of such composition on the string known to meat the present time is'by extrusion. This coating or layer 4 of the string 3 is applied thereto by extrusion in the same manner that such plastics are applied on metal wires.

Depending upon the thickness of the string 3 the coating or layer'oi nylon composition 4 thereon will vary. I found that coatings of the thickness of .001" to .02" have given excellent results.

My improved string 2 provided with the coating as described is strung in the racketin the same manner as the ordinary gut string. It will have the same resiliency and tensile strength but the life or the same is greatly prolonged due to the tough wear-resisting coating 4 enveloping the same.

various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope or the invention as defined by the apl. A string for tennis rackets and the like comprising an inner core or animal fibrous material enveloped by a layer or nylon composition.

2. A string for tennis rackets and the like comprising inner core oi'gut coated with a-layer of nylon composition.

3. A string for tennis rackets and the like comprisinganinneacoreotgutcoatedwithalayer or nylon composition having a thickness or .001" 

